For spa owners, the right POS system can significantly improve customer experience, reduce administrative burdens, and boost overall efficiency.
When trying to find the best payment solution for their spa, many spa owners find themselves deciding between Shift4 or Square. Both are popular and secure platforms, but which one is better for your spa?
This Shift4 vs Square comparison evaluates their features, ease of use, and scalability to uncover which offers the best functionality and value for money. In addition, we’ll introduce the award-winning spa management software Book4Time and how it can elevate your spa business. Let’s get started.
Shift4 Overview
Shift4 is a leading payment gateway for the hospitality sector in North America. It accepts over 100 payment methods and multiple currencies, making it a popular choice for global businesses.
The platform facilitates smooth in-person and online payments, all of which are secured and encrypted for ultimate peace of mind.
Shift4 allows businesses to make use of specialized payment hardware, including:
- SkyTab POS device
- SkyTab Mobile POS – for taking payments from a mobile device
- QR code payment functionality
Key Shift4 features include:
- Various billing models, like one-time payments, recurring payments, subscriptions, and trial offers.
- Accepting both local and international payment cards.
- Built-in fraud detection tools, PCI compliance, and point-to-point encryption to keep customer’s data secure.
Other features that make Shift4 ideal for spas include:
- Booking management tools, including appointment calendar, walk-in management, and customer database
- Advanced analytics tools that can generate customer, employee, product, and sales reports
- Easy and extensive integration with over 500 platforms
Shift4 is the perfect choice for those who want to customize their service delivery and payment platform. They offer code libraries and APIs for developers to create a system that’s perfect for your business.
However, one downside of Shift4 is that it isn’t transparent about pricing information on its website.
Square Overview
Square is another widely used payment processor and business management platform. It accepts a variety of payment methods, including contactless, online, and over-the-phone payments, and it’s also connected to AfterPay for “Buy now, pay later” offers.
Square includes a large range of payment hardware, including:
- Square Reader for contactless and chip payments
- Tap and pay with an Android device or iPhone
- Square Reader connected to a mobile device for swiping credit cards
- Square POS terminal
- Square payments stand and iPad for a countertop
- Square Register with two displays
Key features that make Square great for spas include:
- An intuitive dashboard that allows business owners to stay on top of transactions and business data at a glance
- Contactless payments can be accepted with a smartphone for convenience
- Instant transfers to an external bank account make moving money easy
- Savings management features that help businesses growth
Unlike Shift4, Square offers transparent subscription pricing and transaction fees. Pricing packages include:
- Free plan: incurs no monthly subscription costs, only the transfer fees associated with each purchase.
- Paid plan: starts at $29/month and can be canceled anytime.
- Custom pricing: for enterprise-level businesses that make more than $250,000 a year.
Transaction fees remain the same across the board, regardless of whether the business has a free or paid plan.
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Remote: 3.5% + 15 cents
- Buy now, Pay later: 6% + 30 cents
Overall, customers rate Square highly. It’s affordable and easy to use for business owners, staff, and their customers. It’s packed with a ton of extra tools to help businesses grow, like reporting tools, various integrations, and even Square loans.
Shift4 vs Square for Your Spa Business
Shift4 and Square share several key features as payment platforms. Both offer a range of hardware to collect in-person payments, accept a variety of payment methods, and maintain high security standards with PCI compliance.
Square stands out for its pricing transparency, helping businesses plan their budgets effectively. The ease of use and additional tools like Square Invoices, Square Online, and Square Appointments are particularly appealing to business owners who want an all-in-one solution.
Shift4, on the other hand, offers more advanced built-in analytics and reporting functionality than Square. This gives spa businesses greater insights into their customers and sales performance.
While both platforms offer smooth, frictionless checkout experiences, Shift4 offers a more customizable checkout. Shift4 also gives access to APIs and a code library, making it a better choice for businesses focused on growth that might need to customize platform features.
Overall, Shift4 gives growing spa businesses more advanced customizability, which is necessary to remain competitive and scale operations. That said, Square’s simplicity and comprehensive solution make this platform equally as enticing.
While Square and Shift4 are strong contenders, it’s important to consider other options in your search for the ideal payment platform. Book4Time, an all-in-one spa management software, offers another alternative. It can also integrate with Shift4, providing the best of both worlds for your spa business.
How Book4Time Integrates with Shift4
Combining Book4Time’s booking and business management features with the payment processing expertise of Shift4 gives spa businesses a powerful operational advantage.
This integration streamlines payment processes. For example, troubleshooting payment errors is only a phone call away, avoiding the hassle of calling multiple payment providers and platforms.
With Shift4, you have a low-cost payment solution that is committed to providing affordable processing rates.
Integrating Book4Time with Shift4 provides countless benefits to businesses, including:
- Waived gateway fees
- No upfront costs for using the software and hardware
- Accurate payment recording
- Simplified end-of-day (EOD) balancing for staff
- Secure storage of customer credit card details
- Seamless gift card management
In general, combining Book4Time with Shift4 gives you a well-rounded business management system. It ensures accurate financial records, minimizes errors, and optimizes costs, facilitating smooth business growth.
How Book4Time Offers Convenient Payment Solutions
For a truly all-in-one system that caters to growing spa businesses, Book4Time is a suitable alternative.
Book4Time is a fully integrated system with all the required POS hardware and payment processing functionality. It also allows businesses to manage bookings, payroll, and accounting, all under one unified system.
The platform prioritizes security with end-to-end encryption and PCI compliance. It supports various payment methods and cards for both in-person and online transactions, including:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Discover
- Debit
- ACH
- EBT
- Gift Cards
- NFC payments via a mobile device
Recurring payments, like subscriptions, can be automated, which simplifies billing for both businesses and customers. Book4Time also has an express mobile checkout, reducing friction and improving customer satisfaction.
For business owners, the platform offers real-time transaction data analysis, so they can improve service delivery and optimize revenue sources. Additionally, Book4Time offers 24/7 support by email and phone to quickly address any payment processing errors or software concerns.
Shift4 vs Square: Which is Best for Your Spa?
This Shift4 vs Square comparison highlights the key differences between the two platforms to help you make the best choice. The most suitable payment platform for your spa depends on your business growth projections and scalability needs. A business that’s rapidly growing will need a platform that prioritizes scalability and adaptability.
Both Shift4 and Square have their strengths and limitations. Square is a fantastic payment platform, offering a neat system that’s easy to use. However, its simplicity can be a drawback for complex operations. As businesses grow, the limited customization options may hamper growth.
On the other hand, Shift4 shows great potential as a payment platform for spa businesses that need flexibility. It’s highly customizable, and its features and integration possibilities allow for local and international business expansion.
When Shift4 is combined with Book4Time, you get the best of both: Shift4’s reliability and security and Book4Time’s advanced management tools. The integration process is straightforward, and the combined customer support is exceptional, ensuring smooth operations for your spa business.
FAQs for Book4Time and Shift4
How does Book4Time integrate with Shift4?
Shift4 is an approved Book4Time integration. To integrate Shift4, get in touch with a customer support representative.
What are the main differences between Shift4 and Square?
The main differences between Shift4 and Square lie in the simplicity of features and functionality. Shift4 offers a more scalable solution with a customizable service, whereas Square prioritizes simplicity and ease of use.
Why should I choose Book4Time with Shift4 over other solutions?
By combining Book4Time with Shift4, you get the most comprehensive set of features and functionality for your spa business. Book4Time offers a high-level booking and business management solution and Shift4 provides a secure, all-encompassing payment platform. Combining the two will enable ultimate business scalability.
How can I find out if Shift4 or Square is the best option for my spa?
To determine the best solution for your spa, consider trying both platforms. Square allows anyone to create a free account and test its features immediately. With Shift4, we recommend requesting a demo anddiscussings your business needs with a sales representative to understand how it will work for your business.